Hong Kong film pulled from cinemas still in running for top awards but refusal to allow voters to see screening opens disqualification possibility

To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self was pulled from cinemas last month after student interviewees said screenings went ahead without their proper consent

Film is currently being considered for three categories, while school behind documentary reiterates refusal to take part in awards competition

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A still from Mabel Cheung’s documentary To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self. Photo: Golden Scene

Published: 3:04pm, 8 Mar 2023Updated: 9:28pm, 8 Mar 2023

A documentary tracking the growth of six pupils that was pulled from cinemas amid a row over consent is still being considered for Hong Kong film awards although a refusal by the school involved to allow voters to see a screening opens the possibility of disqualification under the rules.

The prestigious Ying Wa Girls’ School, which commissioned the production of To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self, on Tuesday said it had turned down a request from the Hong Kong Film Awards Association to screen the documentary for a second round of voters.

The association on Wednesday reiterated that any publicly screened local film was automatically entered into the competition, with no existing mechanism for withdrawing entries.

The documentary, which follows the lives of six pupils over a decade and was directed by Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting, was last month removed from cinemas after the student interviewees said public screenings had gone ahead without their proper consent.

One pupil said the school and production crew had rejected her previous attempts to stop the film screening.

While the school, which owns the copyright to the documentary, had announced it would not compete for the best picture category at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards, organisers had asked it to arrange screenings for the event’s voters.

Ying Wa Girls’ School has reiterated its refusal to take part in the film awards. Photo: Jelly Tse

The film is in the second round of voting and is also being considered for the categories of best director and editing. The awards ceremony is set to take place on April 16.